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Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri

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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

24 Colleges
$15,749 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,955 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,273 degrees and certificates were awarded to criminal justice and corrections students who went to a Missouri college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best value programs for criminal justice students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri

Check out the criminal justice programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

#1

Jefferson College

Hillsboro, MO
$6,030 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Jefferson College to be the best value school for criminal justice and corrections students who want to pursue a degree in Missouri. Located in the rural area of Hillsboro, JeffCo is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at JeffCo are $6,030 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at JeffCo take out is $8,500.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Jefferson College

$6,720 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 24 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CMU CGES are $6,720 per year. On average, criminal justice graduates from CMU CGES take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies Report

#3

Saint Louis Community College

Saint Louis, MO
$5,295 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Saint Louis Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in Missouri. Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Louis Community College are $5,295 per year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Saint Louis Community College

#4

Park University

Parkville, MO
$8,853 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 24 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Park University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Park University are $8,853 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Park University take out $20,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#5

Mineral Area College

Park Hills, MO
$5,200 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Mineral Area College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in Missouri. Located in the town of Park Hills, MAC is a public school with a small student population.

MAC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,200 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from MAC carry an average student debtload of $10,436.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mineral Area College Report

#6

Truman State University

Kirksville, MO
$8,689 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Truman State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public school with a small student population.

Truman State undergraduate students pay an average of $8,689 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Truman State carry an average student debtload of $23,089.

Read More…

$9,078 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Central Missouri ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri list. UCM is a large public school located in the distant town of Warrensburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UCM are $9,078 a year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at UCM accumulate an average of around $23,578 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $153.

Read More…

$5,868 Average Tuition & Fees

Harris - Stowe State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri list. Harris - Stowe State University is a small public school located in the large city of Saint Louis.

Harris - Stowe State University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,868 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Harris - Stowe State University accumulate an average of around $38,354 in student debt.

Read More…

$8,715 Average Tuition & Fees

Southeast Missouri State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri ranking. Located in the small city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southeast Missouri State University are $8,715 a year. Criminal Justice majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $157, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southeast Missouri State University Report

$7,930 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Missouri Western State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Missouri Western are $7,930 a year. Criminal Justice majors at Missouri Western take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 1,525
Kansas 586
Iowa 627
Nebraska 608
North Dakota 225
South Dakota 154

One of 4 majors within the area of study, criminal justice and corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 13,766
Homeland Security 7,140
Security Science and Technology 6,888
Other Homeland Security 1,695

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 24 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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